Sophie Calle

A recent article in The Guardian brought attention to Urban Dictionary entries that redefine the giants of literature through contemporary slang. They range from the stupid (JK Rowling: being under the effects of cannabis (J) and ketamine (K)), to the sublime (Kerouac: to wander aimlessly for the giddy thrill). The New York Daily News cited the entries as being a “history of literature as seen by millions of 17-year-olds today,” but as The Guardian points out, some familiarity with the writer’s canon is required to make the quips successful — which means there has to be some literacy at play here.

We wanted to see if the same rules applied to the art world, so we clung to our brain cells (just in case) and went digging through Urban Dictionary’s website for slang versions of famous artists and related works. See what we found past the break, and let us know if you have your own redefinitions to contribute. (Diebenkorn, for instance, is just screaming for appropriation.)
… Read More

Critics are calling R.E.M.’s new album, Collapse Into Now, their best in years. Perhaps to celebrate their creative success, Michael Stipe and co. have assigned short films for each song to a bevy of artists, directors (including Albert Maysles and Michel Gondry)… and James Franco. A few clips are already out, but we couldn’t resist posting the “Walk It Back” video, directed by one of our favorite artists, Sophie Calle. She’s always game for odd fascinations, to say the least, so we’re not at all surprised by the mid-song horse peeing footage. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
… Read More

1. Warner Bros. is in the final stages of acquiring the rights to produce a prequel or sequel of Ridley Scott’s cult classic Blade Runner — but the deal would not allow them to do a remake of the orignal. [via Guardian]